Amingethia took a deep breath, taking in the sight of New York at night. It was something she had missed... almost. The honking of vehicles, the stench of fumes, she had not missed those things. Human mortals destroyed their planet and overpopulated. They took from their poorest and weakest to give to their richest and strongest.

Still, there were a few good things about her life before the Mud Dogs, before Helen had really taken over the Hidden City's underground. The limited pleasant memories tickled at the edge of her mind, but she shook them away. Tonight was about business.

Amingethia made her way through the city, easily navigating the rooftops, as though it was second nature to her, searching for her prey and trying not to think about her life before. That wasn't important, and it was gone now, anyway. What was important was-

A ninja star flew past her face suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts. She turned. The turtle mutants...

They had two humans with them. Names danced around in her memory and waited on her tongue. These ones looked so different from others before. How could she be so sure?

The turtles and humans surrounded her. She let them, studying them one by one.

"Alright." The largest turtle spoke up. "Who are you and what are you up to?" He demanded.

"A red mask." Amingethia muttered. "Strength in every bone of your body. Willpower to protect, to fight. Aggressive, even, but not dangerous. Not to the innocent. Raphael."

The turtles reeled back. "How do you know him?" Behind her, the smallest asked. The youngest.

Amingethia turned and smiled. "So innocent and curious. Nothing but the wish that all will be alright. Orange. Fire in your veins, I can see it. A free spirit. Michelangelo."

The little turtle took a step back, nervous. "How do you know that? How do you know me?"

"I know all of you. I have always known you, before you knew yourself." Inside, Amingethia cringed a little. God that was so cheesy. She sounded like a weird video game NPC. Still, she craved the uneasiness they were feeling. It was kind of funny, and bittersweet at the same time. No matter the universe, no matter the time or the differences, she would know them anywhere.

"That's not possible." The one next to Michelangelo piped up.

"Ah, the quizzical mind." Amingethia grinned. "Always calculating, always thinking. Sometimes overthinking. Purple mask, purple weapon, even purple markings on your arms. Fighting not with strength, but cunning. Donatello." He was never hard to recognize. None of them were.

Well, one was. She turned to the final turtle, holding his sword and narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously. He looked... so different. He was very different, she could sense it. He was so much more... carefree.

"I recognize you." She told him. "But at the same time, I don't."

The others sounded more confused. "You know who we are but you don't know who he is?" Donatello questioned.

"I know who he is." Amingethia never broke eye contact with the fourth turtle as she spoke. "I know his name, I know his role. It's his spirit... So carefree. And light. Humorous, even. Not weighed down by his role... at least not yet."

"You know my name, huh?" The fourth turtle demanded. "If you know me so much, then say it. If you know us, you must know our master too. And our friends."

Amingethia nodded. "Leonardo. Wielder of the katana, the noblest of the blades. The leader. That is your role. But your spirit does not match, for once. Not serious, or heavy. Not tired or worried. Trauma is there, yes. It's always there. But you don't carry it the same."

She turned to the two humans with them. "Yes. I know your friends. I know your sensei. Hamato Yoshi. But you call him Splinter, do you not? And you two... Casey Jones... recognizable in spirit if nothing else. And April O'Neal. A spirit that is always different. The one before me, I can respect." Not like the last two. Amingethia thought, but kept silent. That was another bridge to be crossed.

For now, she needed to show them she was one of them. A Hamato, just like them.

"I will explain further, but I must speak with your sensei." She unpinned her brooch and showed it to Leonardo. As soon as he took it, she regretted that decision. He didn't feel like the leader she had known. It felt wrong. If anything, he reminded her of Loathsome Leonard, always having to force himself into the leader role and never being taken seriously.

Luckily, he recognized the symbol she wore proudly. "She's Hamato." He returned her brooch. "We'll take you to Master Splinter."

"Hey wait!" Donatello spoke up. "She knows our names but we don't know anything about her."

"You can call me... Ming."